St. Seraphim of Sarov the Wonderworker (Feast Day: January 2)

St. Seraphim of Sarov, was a great ascetic of the Russian Church, was born on July 19, 1754. His parents, Isidore and Agathia Moshnin, lived in Kursk. Isidore was a merchant. Toward the end of his life, he began construction of a cathedral in Kursk, but he died before the completion of the work. His little son Prochorus, (the future Seraphim), remained in the care of his widowed mother, who raised her son in piety.

After the death of her husband, Agathia Moshnina continued with the construction of the cathedral. Once she took the seven-year-old Prochorus there with her, and he fell from the scaffolding around the seven-story bell tower. He should have been killed, but the Lord preserved the life of the future luminary of the Church. The terrified mother ran to him and found her son unharmed.

A short video on his life (Russian) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU7GrtWoJoQ

 
Books for young children on his life:

 

"St. Seraphim's Beatitudes: Blessings for Our Path to Heaven - Based on the Life of the Wonderworker of Sarov" by Priest Daniel Marshall (Author), Paul Drozdowski (Illustrator)

"Saint Seraphim Wonderworker of Sarov and His Spiritual Inheritance" by Helen Kontzevitch